Months of tense and difficult talks between the BBC, government and commercial radio companies to decide the future of local radio on digital audio broadcasting – DAB – are set to come to a head on Friday.

A further meeting is understood to be scheduled for Friday morning with the aim of signing the final draft of an agreement to fund the cost of ensuring the digital future of local radio on DAB.

The meeting, thought to be at the Government Art Collection in central London, will be attended by senior executives from the BBC, transmission mast owner Arqiva, Bauer Radio, UTV as well as civil servants from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including John Mottram. It is being chaired by Stewart Purvis, the former ITN chief executive and Ofcom partner.

The hope is that the final terms will be signed off – the BBC and government have agreed to find two-thirds of ongoing costs to support the local radio DAB – which will help make switchover a reality for all of the radio industry.

The BBC has already agreed terms surrounding national DAB, securing the future of stations such as Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4.

However, securing the future of local radio has proved to be a much more difficult negotiation.

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